You’ve just come home from Scotland where you spent some time with Uncle Smart. You’ve been to Africa, spent time with family and seen things few kids your age do. That trip wasn’t a break-up; it was a reset, a reminder that dreams—especially big ones like football—need work, mindset, and heart. In Parenting a 12 Year Old with Big Dreams, I wrote that talent isn’t enough — dreams need effort, focus, coachability, and humility
…Author: Kelly Kester
Currently away with Family with his Sister, I have missed them both. I hear the 5am alarm and can’t wait for the kids to return home. It’s almost time for a new football season, and a new academic year too—
For Kingkong, a fresh start, a clean slate. Before the boots go back on, before the whistle blows.
Hey Kingkong, I wanted to share something with you.
You’ve been through a lot
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In a recent blog, Parenting a 12-Year-Old with Big Dreams: Why Talent Isn’t Enough, I wrote candidly about the emotional friction between father and son, the academy pressures, and the wake-up call KingKong needed. I contrasted the diverging careers of Islam Feruz and Andy Robertson — two prodigious talents whose fates were shaped less by ability, and more by mindset. I shared my internal wrestling over
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Let me be honest: I don’t always get it right.
There are days I snap when I should have paused. Days I feel pulled thin—between work deadlines, financial pressure, school emails, and half-eaten dinners that go cold while I’m still replying to “just one more” message. There are moments I silently wonder: Am I really the man my family needs?
But here’s what I’m learning—fatherhood is less about getting everything right, and more about
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Hey Birthday Star,
So, you’re planning your big party – and it’s going to be amazing! Balloons, cake, music, and all your favourite games. But then something surprising happened: Dad asked you to invite at least four boys to join in the fun. You raised your eyebrows and asked the million-dollar question:
“But… why does it matter?”
Great question. And here’s the real, honest answer — because it helps you grow your
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I sit here after a training session that ended not with tired satisfaction, but with a heavy heart and a knot of disappointment. Kingkong, soon to step onto the demanding pitch of academy football, and I, trying desperately to prepare him, hit a wall. And the impact left cracks.
It should have been one of those crisp early sessions where growth and joy meet on the grass. Instead, it ended with frustration and silence.
We were working
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